Fungus

I don't notice these damaged and sometimes even partially burnt trees anymore, because alongside this very busy road, 2 out of 10 oaks and beeches were hit by cars or grass mowers. And I suspect this oak is infected with L. sulphureus too and could be "blown away" in a next storm just as the front tree was, but that is the responsability of the local authorities, as they are the owners and managers of both the road and the hundreds of trees in the verges.

Contrary to what would be expected from the extensive white rot of the wood, the brackets do not show the species specific panic fruiting as shown in my photo, so there still must be enough cellulose left for the mycelium to produce "normal" annual reproductive layers of tubes on top of one another. ---

A synopsis of a short article I wrote for the German mycological quarterly Der Tintling (1-2010, p. 5-6) on the assumed correlation between the fruiting of ectomycorrhizal macrofungi and climate change follows. In 2009, in Germany and The Netherlands an exuberant fruiting of the Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) and of boletes such as Boletus edulis occured, which was attributed to climate change as the dominant causing factor by a German author (D. Richter, Klima und Pilze. Der Tintling, 3-2009, p. 31-42). At the end of the 20th century, during a period of 15 years, in Dutch decideous and coniferous forests research was carried out, in which the presence of the Chanterelle as a symbiotic partner of oaks, pines and spruce was monitored and documented, because C. cibarius was said to be undergoing a dramatic decline in fruiting, assumed to be caused by too much "harvesting" for consumption, setting of the soil (lack of oxygen) because of too many people going "off track" searching for a meal and/or acid rain. The research however showed, that the ectomycorrhizal Chanterelle is part of the succession in the life cycle of the tree species it associates with, which disappears once the trees is old enough to enter the next phase and "selects" other symbiotic partners to live with. Another factor turned out to be the acidity of the soil, with C. cibarius vanishing when the soil became more acid then pH 4. In this case, acid tolerant generalistic ectomycorrhizal species, such as Boletus badius, Scleroderma citrinum and Paxillus involutus, substituted for the loss, the last two species also being capable of temporarely surviving as a saprotrophic recycler on dead wood as long as there is no living tree partner at hand. And then there was the change of wood-fired ovens to electric ovens by the bakers, who no longer needed the wood from the annual cut thickets of Quercus rubra, which caused the trees to "overgrow" the phase its roots are colonized by the mycelium of the Chanterelle, which as a consequence of succession, brought the fruiting to a hold. The fruiting of the mycelium of the Chanterelle is predominantly determined by the availability of the energy reserves stored in the roots and the supply of sugars to the ectomycorrhizae. In the preceding article on "Climate and Fungi" was stated, that the fruiting of the Chanterelle was more depending on rain, then on temperature. The tree partners, however, are the ones, which react stronger to rain then to temperature. In particular for "deep rooting" oaks, the amount of rain and snow fall in winter, which determines the water reserve in the soil in spring, the tree can rely on for developing foliage and shoots and for blossoming and fruiting, are the most important. Dendrochronological research has shown, that the growing of year rings is determined by the energy reserves before winter stored in the preceding year and/or by the reserves, which the tree has built up by the end of the following autumn, i.e. as long as the tree had the time to photosynthesis and assimilate. Because of this, it is to be understood, that the fruiting of C. cibarius, as was the case in 2007, together with the development of leaves and buds, could take place at the end of May, because the "wealthy" oaks could afford the spending of energy to the mycelium after a late started and early ended rainy and mild winter period. So in this case, it would be a serious mistake to interpret the (much too) early fruiting of the Chanterelle as panic reproduction of a mycelium in distress. Beeches, for their water supply highly dependend on rain because of their superficial root system, on a hot summer's day can evaporate 300 to 400 liters of water with their leaves. Most of the water reserve in the soil has to be brought to the tree roots by the hyphae of the mycelia of the ectomycorrhizal symbionts and then transported by the tree to the foliage of the crown. If, like in 2009, from the end of July until the beginning of August, a longer period of extreme heat and drought occurs, the tree has to immediately stop the evaporation to keep its roots from drying out completely and the ectomycorrhizae with it. Unlike its normal defoliage in autumn, the tree then sheds its leaves without withdrawing the chlorophyl and because of this looses 6 to 8 weeks of energy production and the reuse of otherwise stored chlorophyl next spring. Instead of partially transporting and storing its energy reserves in the roots, the beech now only stores the sugars and starch in its trunk and radial rays, resulting in stagnation of the fruiting of ectomycorrhizal symbionts such as Chanterelles and boletes, which normally takes place in this period of the year, i.e. in autumn. In 2009, from the end of October until the middle of November, the months of extreme drought were followed by a short, relatively warm and wet period. Preparing for the winter period, the trees then transported and stored sugars to/in the roots. And then, in the German Eifel and the eastern parts of The Netherlands, another abnormal phenomenon was documented : the mycelia of ectomycorrhizal macrofungi, such as C. cibarius and Boletus edulis, "quick" started fruiting with extreme quantities (panic reproduction) to limit the damage otherwise done to their reproductive needs and with it took so much of the stored energy of the trees, that they were left with insufficient reserves to fully develop leaves and fruit next spring. ---

I would put my bet on Pleurotus pulmonarius.

The Romans introduced it, using the plant's roots for a dye to colour their cloaks yellowish green with. And they also brought Artemisia vulgaris to the U.K. by wearing it in their sandals, which was meant to prevent their feet from blistering.

Matt, Great pics , especially of the orchids. By the way, do you know how Reseda lutea came to the U.K. ?

David, With either Phellinus ferreus or P. ferruginosus fruiting on the lower side of the horizontal trunk ?

Especially white rotters with their mycelia in the phase of changing the central wood column's flexibility-stiffness ratio towards less stiffness and more flexibility then normal by decomposing lignine first and the bulk of cellulose afterwards.

Although I think in this case, it is the less aggressive G. lipsiense, I share Tony's concern.

I agree, because of the shape of the initial brackets looking like (partially) sterile lumps and the place of attachment of the brackets underneath, i.e. in the armpit of a branch, which appears to be brown rotted.

If the second photo was taken in The Netherlands, I would say it was typical for not yet "exploded" bark and cambium necrosis, caused by the mycelium of F. hepatica invading the cambium of the oak. As I stated before, here it is exactly the other way around, I. dryadeus being very rare, and - if present - always at the base of the trunk of very old oaks and never fruiting together with Fistulina, while with F. hepatica 90 % of its annual fruitings arise from the necrotic cankers close to ground level. Maybe an explanation for your contrary findings can be found in that I. dryadeus' mycelium is far more competitive and effective in defending its territory then that of F. hepatica is and "chases" F. hepatica up the tree to a part of the trunk where it is out of reach of attacks by I. dryadeus. If so, you would only find Fistulina at the base of an oak, if I. dryadeus has not (yet) succeeded in entering the tree. And in The Netherlands, it's L. sulphureus "task" to hollow the tree and dramatically reduce the crown by loosing its major branches because of that and is often accompanied by Fistulina fruiting from cankers at the base of the trunk.

And one should also take into consideration, that compared to Quercus robur and Q. petrea, Fagus has a much shorter life cycle with less opportunity to reproduce as it becomes 250-300 years max (in The Netherlands 150-200 years) if the conditions are optimal and that is probably why its seeds only have an energy reserve for 2 years, after which the roots of the seedling have to be colonized by tree species specific ectmycorrhizal pioneers such as L. amethystina, while oaks produce seeds with an energy reserve for 5 years, of which the germinated acorns do not need tree species specific pioneer symbionts to quick start their roots taking up nutrients from the soil so early in their life cycle, because they can dispose of a variety of generalistic ectomycorrhizal pioneer symbionts.

Tony, To early a stage to determine what causes the infection. How close to ground level was the cut ? Depending on this, it could either be L. sulphureus, or f.i. a Ganoderma (australe/resinaceum).

Bark sinks can also be caused by shortening of the (starch rich) radial rays infected with the mycelium of a bracket fungus "pulling" the bark in while consuming the sugars, as sometimes is seen with Inonotus hispidus on Platanus.

1. Depending on the pathogen ivolved, it can either be (acid) fluid from the cambium (Armillaria : rhizomorphs), or cambium fluid slightly changed by Phytophthora or bacteria/micro-organisms causing AOD. For the assessment of Armillaria, go by the acid smell of the fluid and for Phytophthora (see photo), there is a test kit available. 2. Yes, they can. ---

Tony, Once or twice looking for secondary roots and L. amethystina fruiting from them is not enough, one should monitor at least for five to ten years after the pruining or reduction of the crown, as it takes a while for the tree and the pioneer symbiont to react to their full extent. Also see my MTA report.

By opening the starting page of the thread, clicking on Favourites on top of your Google page and clicking on Add to favourits.

As I said before : just stick Keizer's Fungi Q & A to your list of Favourites.

I also hate stigmata attached to trees and/or macrofungi or their combinations, but did you follow up and monitor the regeneration of secondary roots from the trunk's base after heavy pruning or reduction of the crown and find Laccaria amethystina colonizing them, being ""mother's little helper" for the seeds falling down and germinating in a circle close to the base of the trunk, where the mycelium of the pioneer symbiont is awaiting them, which is, as I stated before, a reaction from a beech at old age or under attack of parasites, when it "feels" its end is coming near and only wants to invest in its own offspring ?

Sean, Keizer's Fungi Q & A

Only a specific group (20 %) of macrofungi is capable of forming ectomycorrhizal structures on/surrounding roots of a specific group of tree species and of producing above ground fruitbodies (except the truffles), all other tree species (and almost all green plants) depend on endomycorrhizal symbionts, a specific group of microfungi, which asexually reproduce with spores directly formed on the mycelium and mycorrhizae in the soil. Also see : Mycorrhiza. ---

Claus being the well respected and highly regarded collegue, who knows all there is to know of VTA and biomechanics , but (10 years ago : so when was this conversation ?) could not tell a beech from a hornbeam or an Acer from a Platanus, let alone distinguish a Ganoderma from a Phellinus and had or (still) hasn't got a clue of ectomycorrhizal macrofungi and the role they play in TSSE's ? I'm not referring to reducing big beeches "with issues", which are already under attack of Ganoderma's or Meripilus, but to beeches in good to perfect condition being reduced, because of too much shade in gardens or overgrowing the crowns of other trees standing close by. And the principle also works the other way around. I can show you lots of old beeches, of which major roots were cut off because of road or sewer works, with detrimental effects to or dying of the corresponding branches in the crown and up tempo colonizing of the damaged roots by Meripilus or Armillaria. ---

Sean asked me to elaborate on the subject of "panic fruiting". Once a tree is no longer capable of defending itself against attacks of biotrophic or necrotrophic parasitic macrofungi and "foresees" it is going to die and/or fall soon, the tree often resorts to "panic" or survival reproduction by producing as many seeds as possible, which mostly results in about 70 % of the seeds being sterile. If as part of a tree species specific time cycle, the seeds however are over 70 % fertile, it indicates, that the tree is in such a good condition, that it can afford itself the "wealth" of massive reproduction. If the tree has ectomycorrhizal symbionts, it will - while keeping all its stored energy to itself - "run dry" the mycelium of the symbiotic partner to uptake as much nutrients as possible, with which the symbiosis, which in effect is a state of balanced parasitism, turns into one sided parasitism by the tree. If on the other hand the mycelia of the ectomycorrhizal macrofungi "notice" a diminishing supply of sugar by the tree, they sometimes also "panic fruit" with extremely big or an extreme quantity of fruitbodies to disperse as many spores as possible as long as the tree "permits" them to and they can even fruit "out of season", f.i. in June, weakening the tree even more, instead of in autumn, when the energy reserves of the tree are at their peak. In evaluating the phenomenon of massive fruiting of ecomycorrhizal symbionts, one should always also look at the condition of the tree, to determine whether the tree is in such a good condition, that it can afford to share so much of its energy reserves, or is in poor condition, indicating that the mycelium is panic fruiting. The same phenomenon can be seen with biotrophic and necrotrophic parasitic macrofungi living on/of trees. When the mycelium of a biotrophic parasitic species "foresees" the forthcoming death of the tree, it too can resort to panic fruiting by producing as big and/or as many annual fruitbodies as possible, which f.i. can be seen with Pholiota squarrosa and Meripilus giganteus. Sometimes both the annual bracket fungus and the tree "panic fruit' at the same time, as can be seen in the photo of a Castanea with L. sulphureus. Once the "food" or cellulose supply of the tree diminishes, perennial brackets producing necrotrophic parasitic macrofungi form thinner and retracting layers of tubes on top of the old layers (photo Salix with Phellinus igniarius), indicating they are slowly "starving" and the tree is about to fall, after which they live on as saprotrophic recyclers of the trunk with soil contact. Another indication of the mycelium of a necrotrophic parasite being in its end phase of wood decay, can be panic fruiting with poorly developed, (partially) sterile annual or perennial brackets or lumps (photo Daedalea quercina) or the massive fruiting of an until then only with rhizomorphs present Armillaria species, once the tree is felled and nothing but the stump remains. ---

Some documentation on a pedunculate oak extremely brown rotted by L. sulphureus, of which the upper part of the trunk and the crown were blown off landing several metres away from the remaining trunk during a last years autumn storm. Luckely it fell to the side of a (in a storm) not much used cycle track and not on the very busy road to the left in the first photo. ---